Combination easy-chair.



- M. MERNYK.

COMBINATION EASY CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1915. 1,214,701. Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- I D I Z wi lmgooeo M. MERNYK. COMBINATION EASY CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED OCT 20. I915.

Patented Feb. ,6, 1917.

2 SHEETGgSHEET 2.

MAURICE MERNYK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

COMBINATION EASY-CHAIR.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Application filed. October 20, 1915. Serial No. 57,012.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE MERNYK, a

subject of Austria-Hungary, residing in the city of Detroit, in the county of Wayne, in

the State of Michigan, and the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combination Easy- Chair, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to easy chairs, and more particularly to that type of chairs having a tiltable back and an extensible limb or foot rest, both of which permit of the chair being easily and quickly converted into a couch; some chairs of this type beingcommonly styled Morris chairs.

The primary object of my invention is to furnish a chair of the above type with a tiltable back that may be tilted or inclined to a desired inclination by lifting the forward edge of the seat of the chair. This is accomplished by providing the back of the chair with an automatic locking device which is released when the front edge of the chair seat is raised and provision is made whereby the lowering of the chair back is controlled by the seat, thus preventing a sudden adjustment of the chair back.

Another object of my invention is to furnish a chair of the above type with a foldable limb or foot rest which in an inactive position is concealed beneath the seat of the chair but can be easily and quickly swung to an active position by raising the front edge of the chair seat. The limb or foot rest has 'foldable legs provided with means for maintaining the same unfolded or extended to support the limb or foot rest against accidental collapse when in an active position, and provision is also made for holding the limb or foot rest in a folded position beneath the chair seat. a

A further object of my invention is to provide an easy chair of the above type wherein the parts are constructed with a view of reducing the cost" of manufacture and at the same time retain the features by which safety, durability, and ease of manipulation are secured, and with such ends 1n view, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

device; Fig. 4: is a rear elevation of a portion of the chair, partly broken away and partly in section, illustrating. the back looking device; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detached rack and" a portion of one of the pawls forming part of the locking device; Fig. 6 is an elevation ofa portion of a rest leg showing a gravity locking member therefor, and Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the chairback showing the locking device in plan.

A chair in accordance with my invention comprises side fnames C provided with arms g having curved rear extensions W. The side frames C are connected by transverse members -h, -z'-, and the inner sides of said side frames have bearing plates D generally denotes a back having a bottom rail k trunnioned in or pivotally connected to the bearing plate -jwhereby the back D may be swung rearwardly at a have the outer ends thereof cut away to provide teeth S and lugs T, said outer ends extending through slotted face plates 0- secured to the inner sides of thearm extensions W. The inner sides of the arm extensions W" are grooved, as at P to receive yieldable racks K, and said racks are prevented from shifting longitudinally of the grooves P by pins R extending into recesses R in ends of said racks. The ends of the racks K are held against shoulders --r of "the arm extensions 'W, by fiat springs P in the grooves P and said racks are adapted to be engaged by theteeth S of the pawlsL. The lugs T of the pawls ride upon a. longitudinal shoulder S of bar extending V vided therefor in the bottom ra1lk of.

back when the teeth S ride over theracks while the back D assumes normal position.

The inner ends of the pawls L are provided with pins b extending into angularly disposed or converging slots -d in a locking member X. This locking mem:

ber is slidable on transverse support m and is normally coiled springs V which tend to lower said member. The springs V are attached to the locking member X and to the transverse support '-m A generally denotes a seat which has the rear rail t provided with side-brackets t. pivotally connected to the plates 7' of the side frames of the chair, whereby the forward edge of the seat 'A can be raised and lowered. Intermediate the ends ofthe rail -'t-- there is a recess N providing' clearance for the lower end of a bar M forming part of the locking member X, said through an opening prothe back D. The bottom of the recess N has a curved'wear or cam'plate N normally engaged bythe lower end of the bar M, as best shown-in Fig. 3. 7

The'normal position of the chair back D i has beenshown in Fig. 1 and with the teeth S of the pawls L engaging the racks K, the chair back D is prevented from accidentally tilting or assuming an inclined position.

- Should it be desired to place chair back at a desired inclination, the front edge of the chair seat A, which normally rests upon the member -ii is raised, thereby moving the plate N relative to the lower end of the bar M, allowing the springs B to lower the looking member X-.- As this locking member 1s lowered, the angularity of the slots (l is suificient to retract the pawls L slidable in I the guides m. The teeth S of the pawls L are therefore pulled out of engagement with the teeth of the racks K and the outer ends of the pawls L can ride downwardly in the slotted face plates -0- and the grooves P of the arm extensions W.

The chair back D is preventedfrom. sudden movement or descent by reason of the lower end of the bar M remaining in engagement with the plate N and riding upwardl on said plate. With the forward edge 0 the chair seat A raised, the chair back D can be moved to a desired inclination and when K recede as the teeth S of the pawls L ride over the same.

Connected to the bottom side of the chair pressed downwardly by 7 seat A at the forward edge thereof by strap hinges O or other pivotal means, is a limb rest or seat extension generally designated B. The front rail B of the limb rest has a conventional form of keeper G to receive a latch H carried by the rail t of the chair seat A. The latch and its keeper will retain the limb rest B folded beneath the chair seatand when in such position it is concealed by side panels A forming part of the chair frames C. The chair seat A can be raised and the limb rest 'B released and swung outwardly, at which time the chair seat A can be restored to normal position as shown in Fig. 2.

Pivotally connected to the side rails of limb rest B at the front rail B thereof are side legs E adapted to be swung into the frame vof'thelimbrest when said limb rest is in a folded or inactive position, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner sides of the side rails of the limb rest B are provided with pivoted gravity locking member's F notched to engage pins'l carried by the outer sides of the legs E to brace and hold said legs in an extended positio-m as shown in Fig. 2. The

outer sides of the'legs also have pins J and these pins are so related tothe pivoted ends of the members F as to hold said members The action of the pins J relative to the members F and the legs E is best shown in Fig. 6

and such members simply constitutemeans for temporarily holding the legs E rigid relative to the seat extension or hmb rest carried by the side rail of the limb rest B,

which is notshown in this view.

' The chair is upholstered in the usual and well known manner and the mechanism by which parts of the chair are adjusted is concealed "by the upholstery. The manner of .hinging or pivotally connecting the chair seat A to the side frames C permit of the chair seat being raised and lowered without disturbing the chair back D. Consequently the seat extension or limb rest B can be used with the chair back at any desired inclination. Since the chair back D cannot be lowered While the chair seat A is occupied, there is no danger of the chair back accidentally. shifting, yet it is possible to raise the chair back from an inclined position upwardly toward normal position without disturbing the seat A.

It is thought that the operation and utility of the chair mechanism will be apparent without further description and while. in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred -means upon pivotal movement of said seat from its normal position.

2. In an easy chair, the combination of a supporting frame, a pivoted seat, a pivoted back, racks in said supporting frame, pawls carried by said back and held in engagement with saidracks byqsaid seat when in its normal position, and means adapted to move said pawls out of engagement with said racks when said seat is shifted to an abnormal position.

3. In an easy chair, the combination of a supporting frame, a pivoted seat, a pivoted back, yieldable racks carriedby said supporting frame adapted to limit the movement of said back in one direction, holding means carried by said back, for engaging said racks to hold said back in an adjusted position, and means actuated by said seat for releasing said holding means upon pivotal movement of said seat, from its normal position.

4. In an easy chair, the combination of. a supporting frame, a pivoted seat, a pivoted back, racks carried by said supporting frame, pawls carried by said back and normally engaging said racks, a locking member carried by said back adapted to simultaneously shift said pawls, and means actuated by said seat for releasing said locking member upon pivotal movement of said seat from its normal (position.

5. In an easy chair, the combination of a supporting frame, a back, a seat pivotally connected at its rear edge to said frame independent of said back and adapted to have its forward edge raised, a limb rest held by the forward free edge of said seat and adapted to be swung down when said seat is raised, foldable legs carried by said limb rest, and pivoted gravity locking members carried by the inner sides of said limb rest adapted to maintain said foldable legs connected at its rear edge of said frame independent of said back and adapted to have its forward edge raised, a limb rest adapted to be concealed beneath said seat in parallelism therewith and pivotally connected to the forward free edge of said seat and adjusted to be swung downwardly when said seat is raised, foldable legs carried by said limb rest, pivoted gravity lockin members carried by theuinner sides of said limb rest, pins carried'by the outer sides of said foldable legs adapted to be engaged by said pivoted gravity locking members, and pins carried by the outer'sides of said foldable legs adapted to engage and shlft said gravity locking members out of en- 75.

gagement with the first mentioned pins when said legs are folded.

MAURICE MERNIYK.

It. is hereby oortified that in Letters Patent. No. 1,214,701, grantad February 6, 1917, upon the application of Maurice Mernyk, of Detroit, Michigan, for improvo- 'menm'm '& "Qorobination Easy-Chair," an error appaam in the printed specification roqoiring correction as follows: Pogo 1, line 3, for the words "aubjoct of Auswin-Hungary" read subject of Russia; ind that. the said Letters Patent aho'uld be read with this correction therein thnt tho some msy conform to the record of tho base in the Patent Oflioo.

Signed sud .5 mi. m1 day of March, A. 1)., 1917.

F. W. H. CLAY, v

Acting Gammirn'omr of Patents. 

